Intussusception

What is Intussusception?

Intussusception is a type of intestinal blockage. It happens when part of the intestine folds into itself like a telescope causing a blockage that prevents food from passing down through the rest of the intestines. When the walls of the folded intestines become swollen, eventually blood flow is cut off to that part of the intestinal tract, causing the tissue to die.

Vaccine Injury Compensation Program and Intussusception

The National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program (NVICP) has a list of vaccines that it compensates people for based on specific reactions. The rotavirus vaccine is one of those listed and intussusception is the illness associated with that vaccine.

According to the NVICP Vaccine Injury table, to claim compensation a patient must experience intussusception symptoms between 1 and 21 days from when they first got the rotavirus vaccine.

The US Department of Health and Human Services defines intussusception as:

“the invagination of a segment of intestine into the next segment of intestine, resulting in bowel obstruction, diminished arterial blood supply, and blockage of the venous blood flow. This is characterized by a sudden onset of abdominal pain that may be manifested by anguished crying, irritability, vomiting, abdominal swelling, and/or passing of stools mixed with blood and mucus.” (Source: HRSA Vaccine Injury pdf)

Does the Rotavirus Vaccine Trigger Intussusception?

Recent studies show that there is a link between the rotavirus vaccine and intussusception in young children. The number of cases where the vaccine may trigger intussusception is very low, however, research indicates that the rotavirus vaccine does, rarely, cause intussusception.

Recent preliminary studies from Australia also suggest a link between RV5 and intussusception. Hence, we can infer from these studies that any orally administered live rotavirus vaccines will probably carry some detectable risk of intussusception, that the risks associated with RV4 were not unique, and that the risk of intussusception seems to be small.

N Engl J Med 2011; 364:2354-2355

Compensation for Intussusception Triggered by the Rotavirus Vaccine

Mctlaw represents patients in the National Vaccine Injury Compensation Program who have experienced reactions to the Rotavirus shot. Some of the vaccine brand names that may cause Intussusception include Rotarix and RotaTeq.

What is Rotavirus?

Rotavirus causes inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Additionally, it is also one of the leading causes of severe diarrhea in children and infants. The virus often leads to repeated outpatient treatment, emergency room visits, hospitalization, and in rare cases even death. Children between the ages of 6 months and 2 years old are at the greatest risk of the rotavirus infection. Rotavirus typically incubates for about 2 days before symptoms appear. Symptoms of rotavirus can last up to 9 days. Severe dehydration is a common complication of the rotavirus. In rare cases, this complication alone leads to death.

What are the Symptoms of Rotavirus?

• High fever
• Vomiting
• Abdominal pain
• Watery diarrhea
• Severe fatigue
• Irritability
• Dehydration
• Stools with blood